(The following message was posted originally on Friday, September 23, on the SASFAA listserv.)
To: SASFAA Colleagues
From: Guy F. Gibbs, SASFAA President
Subject: Final Report and Update Hurricane Katrina
I am happy to report that progress has been made in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi in recovering from the aftermath of the hurricane. We have watched with horror the damage this hurricane has brought to our member states as well as to Louisiana and our friends and colleagues in SWASFAA. Let us hope for a brighter day!
We owe a great deal to our nine state association presidents for their careful consideration of ways that they and their members, as well as the entire SASFAA community, could contribute to assisting those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Immediately after the hurricane, they began communicating with each other, making sure that others were safe, and asking how we as SASFAA colleagues might assist in the rebuilding process in our region. I very much appreciate the lead that these nine took and in joining forces to help our colleagues.
The result of this collaborative effort was:
The state presidents, in conjunction with their state associations, agreed to raise money to be given to national relief agencies; however, they have asked that these contributions be targeted for relief activities in the SASFAA region.
The state presidents suggested as another option that contributions go directly to one or more of the agencies identified by the MASFAA and AASFAA presidents.
The state presidents are working with their state associations to identify individuals that will be available to assist financial aid offices in affected institutions needing manpower to recover. We know that many colleges were closed for a period of time, that their own staff may be short because of having to deal with their own personal recovery efforts, and that assistance will be needed to rebuild and process students requests for financial aid. We have seen the massive amount of information that has been forthcoming from the U. S. Department of Education and guidance from NASFAA over the past number of days. This recovery effort is staggering.
In reference to volunteers, the following was agreed by the state president and the SASFAA President.
Request(s) by member institutions should be sent to the SASFAA president, Guy Gibbs (ggibbs@nvcc.edu). Institutions will identify the type of assistance needed and the length of time assistance is required. Any local assistance that can be provided to the volunteers should be identified.
The SASFAA president will send the request(s) to state presidents asking that they canvas their membership to identify individuals available to assist their colleagues in affected states.
Volunteers will be asked to contact the individual institutions making the request(s).
Local chapter of the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross have been identified.
In Mississippi, the following information has been provided relative to local chapters.
Biloxi (MS Gulf Coast Chapter)
Pascagoula (Southeast MS Chapter)
Hattiesburg (South Central MS Chapter)
Laurel (Pine Belt Chapter)
Meridian (Key Chapter)
In Alabama, local chapters in Baldwin and Mobile counties have been identified.
In Alabama, contributions can also be made directly to AASFAA so that requests for assistance can be made directly to affected individuals. Contributions are to be forwarded to: Charles Markle, AASFAA Treasurer, Auburn University, 203 Mary Martin Hall, Auburn, AL 36849.
If you prefer to make donations directly to the association rather than to a national relief agency in Mississippi, please sent your contribution to Ann Margaret Mullins, MASFAA Treasurer, Delta State University, PO Box 3154, Cleveland, MS 38733.
We have to give thanks to various agencies and lenders for the generous support that they are giving to the recovery effort. We also must give thanks to various state associations for their concerns and support. While this is certainly not a definitive list, we must thank the following:
CASFAA California Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
Tri-State Association (District of Columbia, Maryland and Delaware) - They have specifically targeted their assistance to Mississippi.
WASFAA Wyoming Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
RMASFAA Rocky Mountain Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
Lenders/Agencies: Wachovia, EdSouth, SallieMae and others.
As we approach this weekend and Hurricane Rita projected with a landfall in Texas, we must continue to remember all of our colleagues not only in SASFAA but also in SWASFAA. Keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers and wish them safety during this time.
Posted September 26, 2005 on www.NASFAA.org, the Web Site of the
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
Copyright 2005 SASFAA
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